Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Month: December 2015

What is Loot Crate?

Taken from the Loot Crate site, “Each month, Loot Crate™ ships a themed mystery box of the best geek, gaming, and pop culture gear to a subscriber base of over 100,000 Looters. We emphasize phenomenal support and content, and include gear from some of the most respected entertainment and consumer product companies in the world.” Loot Crate sells for $13.95 a month plus $6.00 shipping and handling. You can save on the costs by subscribing for longer periods as well. If you like this theme check out the link at the bottom to subscribe.This month’s theme was Galaxy with items from Star Wars, Halo and Galaxy Quest. Also included will be a T-shirt and Funko Pop vinyl.

What’s in the Box?

This month’s shirt is an “Ugly Christmas sweater”. The people at Loot Crate made a space exploration 8-bit design to commemorate all the achievements from NASA this year. My inner astronomer is happy.

Next up is a cool Halo 5 tin and a dlc pack. I haven’t played the recent Halo games with my last game being Halo 2. This is because I can’t afford both consoles and I don’t think I’ll give up my Play Station any time soon. I like containers since I always need boxes to store my hobby stuff. This ammo box tin will be put to good use. It did come with a few dents in it but it’s not a big deal. As for the dlc code, I’ll give it to whoever wants it. First person to comment at the bottom will get it.

Also included were some sweet BB-8 socks and a Galaxy Quest patch. I’ve liked all the socks that were included in past crates. These BB-8 socks will go well with my others Star War apparel. The Galaxy Quest patch is a prop replica from the movie and is also a Loot Crate exclusive. I can probably add it to my Wargaming bag.

The exclusive Funko Pop this month is Han Solo! This is from the Force Awakens line which means this is older Han. I do not own a Star War Funko bobble head, and I’m glad this is my first one. This is definitely going on my desk.

The box turns into a “Cryo Capsule” with a QR code at the bottom. The link leads to a sliding puzzle game that you can play. If you complete the puzzles you get a downloadable poster of the ship you repaired.

Final Thoughts

Loot Crate did a great job with this month’s crate. They had great items with the Han Solo bobble head, BB-8 socks and the ugly sweater space shirt being my favorites. In the magazine Loot Crate announced that they are including shirts in every 2016 crate. I liked most of the shirts this year and I’m excited for next year.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code BOX5 to save $5 off your first subscription. If that code doesn’t work you can use SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link. If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom and if you play Halo 5, leave a comment for the code.

This segment is very late. I’ve been busy with work and the holidays. Also my birthday was on the 20th and I took a few days off to enjoy it. I’m going to try and finish up this weeks segment as well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.

Tuesday

Sumo Deadlift – 6×6 at 65% (225 lb)

Started off Tuesday with some sumo deadlifts. I don’t feel like I have control of the bar which is why I’m still not comfortable with the movement. I’m only able to do about two reps touch and go until I have to reset. The weight doesn’t feel to heavy which is great since I’m trying to focus more on form.WOD – 15 minute time cap

50-40-30-20-10

Double unders

Russian Kettlebell swing (54 lb.)

Kettlebell swing Annie. I’m not fast during regular Annie, so I doubt this one will be any better. The kettlebell swings were going to be tough especially after doing double unders. The first round started off well. I went through both the double unders and kettlebell swings unbroken. During the second round is when things started to slow down. I was able to get trough the 40 reps unbroken but the kettlebell swings were broken up into two sets of 20. I started messing up my double unders during the rest of the workout with only the last round of 10 being unbroken. The kettlebell swings were broken up, every few reps. I finished the workout at 13:46.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 5×7 65% of 1RM (155 lb.)

The strength for Wednesday was bench press. I had a hard time in the last set finishing the last two reps. It was an easy day.

WOD 1 – For Time

7 Rounds – 7 minute time cap

7 thrusters (95 lb.)

7 ring push ups

I had to scale this workout. The original weight was 115 lb. and I know I wouldn’t have been able to finish the workout under seven minutes at that weight. The hardest part of this workout was the ring push ups. It was harder to do after all the bench presses. I started to slow down around the third round. I had to take breaks between all the push ups. I was only able to finish five rounds before the time cap ended.

WOD 2 –

5 x 300 meters

Rest 30 secoonds

I hate running but I know it’s a great skill to have. I managed to finish each interval under two minutes which is a great pace for me. The last two intervals were trough. The intervals felt like forever and I wanted to quit. I managed to keep jogging, albeit slowly. The total time was around 9:30 for all five intervals.

Continuing with the space themes, the next Loot Crate theme will be Invasion! I received items from Aliens and Space Invaders in previous crates. I’m excited to see what items we will be getting from The Fifth Element and The X Files. This month’s crate will include a cool shirt and a plush. I hope the plush will be a Xenomorph.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link. If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom.

Tuesday

Started with a snatch warm up that lasted about 15 minutes before starting this snatch complex. The weights were based off our snatch 1RM. As the weight increased I noticed issues in my form. I didn’t lock out on my power snatch, and I had a small push to lock out. I need to work on dropping into a lower squat on my catch. Other than that, I felt great.WOD

21 – 15 – 9

Box jumps, 24 in,

Power snatch (75 lb.)

Chest to bar pull ups.

My goal for this workout was to finish under 15 minutes. I scaled the weight for the power snatch from 95 lb. to 75 lb. Hopefully the weight drop would be enough. I planned on doing chest to bar pull ups but would probably have to scale later in the workout. The beginning of the workout was good. I went through the box jumps at a good pace and then I reached the power snatches. I was able to break up the snatches into two sets. I could definitely feel the snatch complex catching up to me. The chest to bar pull ups were not great. I broke up all the reps into fives which took a lot of time. I decided to switch to pull ups for the remainder of the workout.

The second round wasn’t any better. I kept a good pace through the box jumps but the snatch and pull ups were slow. At this point I was extremely tired. I split the snatches into fives and the pull ups into threes. I tried to string more together but I couldn’t find a rhythm. The last round was a grind. I was able to make it through the box jumps and went very slow through everything else. I was able to finish the workout in 15:36, short of my goal.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 8×3 at 80% (185 lb.)

Started out the day with bench presses. I was still sore from Tuesdays workout and I was glad the strength portion was bench. The weight was a bit heavy but thankfully it was only three reps. Made it through the workout and started to get ready for the days WOD.

WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes

10 row (cal)

15 wall balls (20 lb.)

15 American kettlebell swings (54 lb.)

This workout was a partner WOD. Only one person would work while the other rested. After you complete your movement, your partner will start the next movement and you will go to the following movement. This way, the work would be split evenly and you would have a short rest. I was paired up with someone who was more fit than me. I didn’t want to drag him down so I decided to push myself harder than usual.

The first eight minutes were great. I was transitioning well and I didn’t take extra breaks. I was moving at the same pace as my partner. It was around nine minutes that I began to feel tired. I’m not sure if it was the adrenaline wearing off or if I hit my wall for that workout, but I was starting to take longer breaks. The hardest movements were the row and wall balls. I wasn’t pulling as hard during the row and I wasn’t able to string wall balls easily. I would miss reps and allow the ball to drop which slowed me down. Surprisingly the easiest part of the workout was the kettlebell swings. Even though I was very tired, I managed to do all the reps unbroken. We managed to finish 12 rounds.

Even though working out with a more advanced partner is intimidating, it also helps you in the long run. If I was with someone who was at the same level as myself, I wouldn’t have completed that many rounds. I do well when I’m working out with better people since I push myself harder trying to keep up. I’ll eventually get there, I need to work harder.

Monday

Snatch Balance + 3 Overhead Squats – 40%, 50%, 60%, 65%, 2 x 70%

Worked off my snatch 1RM. Weights ranged from 45 lb. to 115 lb. Worked on form since the weight was relatively light. I need to work on moving my feet during my snatch balance since my feet do not move wide enough. My overhead squat work was good, I focused on my form and keeping active shoulders and controlling my decent.

WOD

Nancy – 20 minute time cap

5 rounds

Run, 400 m

15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

My last attempt at Nancy was 22:34 with the bar at 75 lb. I was going to scale the weight but decided to give it a try. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish under 20 minutes but I was going to do my best. My overhead squats have improved and my total weight has gone up the past few months. I was confident I would finish.

My 400 m run was fine but the overhead squats were a bit difficult. I had to break the overhead squats into two sets. The rest of the workout however I was able to do all the reps unbroken. The run gave me the most trouble. My legs felt like jello and I couldn’t keep a quick pace. On the last round, I was barely jogging, it was rough. I managed to finish under time cap with a time of 19:46, a new PR! I was almost three minutes faster and it was done Rx. Even though I came in close to last, I was proud of myself and the progress I made. I did some mobility and called it a day.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill Work

Worked on some gymnastics drills. Bridge rocks, Superman Holds and chin over bar holds. We also worked on strict toes to bar and muscle up drills.

WOD – For Time

5 Rounds

7 Toes to bar (unbroken)

21 Kettle bell swings (1.5 pood, unbroken)

penalty for going unbroken 100 m run.

At the beginning of the day I wasn’t feeling it. During the warm up, I was moving very sluggishly. It was a rough day at work and all my energy had been zapped. I almost quit but I decided to push through, at least until after the workout. After the skill work, I started feeling better. I got a second wind and was ready for the WOD.

The original weight for the kettlebell swings was 2 pood but I knew my grip wouldn’t last that long. I scaled down to 1.5 pood which is more manageable. My goal for this workout was to go unbroken all five rounds. With the scaled kettlebell swings, it would be achievable. Also, I didn’t want to run. I took a good amount of rest in between rounds to regain my grip and to catch my breath. The last round was the biggest challenge. I was barely able to finish the toes to bar and the kettlebell swings because my body was fatigued. I could barely lift my legs on the last toes to bar but I finished. My grip was starting to go around rep 15 on the kettlebell swings, but I pushed through it and finished it unbroken as well. I was very tired but I managed to reach my goal of going unbroken throughout all rounds. I finished the workout in 9:26, next time I hope to do it with a 2 pood kettlebell.

Thursday

Skill Work

I worked on four movements: double unders, ring dips, pistol squats and hand stand push ups. I have most of these movements down except for pistol squats. I’m able to do them but I still need to work on my left leg. I used a 15 lb. plate as a counter weight to get into a better position on my pistols which worked. It’s a good thing we worked on this skill since our workout included all these.

WOD

Tabata

Double unders

Ring dips

Pistol squats (alternating)

hand stand push ups

I did a lot of reps during the skill work and it showed during the workout. My goal for this workout was to at least do one rep every round. Especially for the ring dips and hand stand push ups. I started out the rounds doing well. During the double unders I would get around 20 – 25 reps but as the rounds went on, I barely made it to 18 reps. I started out the ring dips with four and by the end I was only at one rep. During the beginning rounds of pistols I was able to maintain six to eight reps but that went down to only two. The hand stand push ups were the same as the pistols. I started high and ended up low, finishing with two reps as well.

Friday

Snatch Complex

1 Power Snatch + 3 Snatch Balance – 35%, 40%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%

Worked off our 1RM for percentages. The weights ranged from 45 lb. to 115 lb. The lifts felt good during the entire complex. I didn’t miss any of the reps. I worked on my form for the power snatches and the snatch balance. I need to work on it more during open gym times.

WOD

12-9-6-3

Power snatch (75 lb.)

Burpee

Before the workout, the coaches said the workout should be under five minutes. The Rx weight was 95 lb. for the snatches, so I decided to scale. My goals for this workout were to finish under five minutes and to be consistent during the burpees. I was able to be consistent on the snatches and the burpees. I had to break up the power snatches during the round of six but I was able to recover and finish everything unbroken. The burpees were not too bad. They were difficult but I pushed my way through it and finished 3:46. I want to redo this workout at 95 lb. to see how long it would take me. I finished the day with 15 minutes of mobility.

After four miles in the hot sun, we completed Guam’s first obstacle course race (ocr), Konqer. Held at the Guam International Raceway grounds, Konqer had as many as 600 participants. My CrossFit gym managed to field two teams of eighteen, The Metgot Mudders and The Muddy Lions. We managed to finish the course in an hour and thirty minutes.

Layout

The course took us trough a variety of terrain with the first leg being mostly mud and dirt with some sections of gravel. The next section was a trail through the jungle with the final leg of the run being mostly gravel. The run took us trough a dirt bike course, through a ATV/MTB course and a rock quarry. The course could have been better however. The quarry was a bit confusing and lacked signs pointing in the correct direction.

Obstacles

The obstacles were okay but could have been better. I was expecting a lot more mud and less of a gap between obstacles. Also, the course was missing a few obstacles from what was previewed. Some of the obstacles should have been bigger. A few of them were lack luster. The tire roll and “constipator” could have been better. The roll was too short and not difficult. The constipator was also too short and maybe too tall, I was expecting a crawl.

Final Thoughts

Even with all the short comings of the race, I had a blast. The Xterra Guam team planned a great race and I hope they make the next one better. Running the race with people is what made this event fun. We had great teamwork, and helped everyone get through the obstacles. I hope we do it again next year. Shout outs to Metgot Mudders (my team) and Muddy Lions.

Monday

Power Snatch + Snatch Grip Push Press + Overhead Squat

Worked up to a two rep max of 135 lb. which is about 70% of my 1 rep max of overhead squat. The power snatch felt good as well as the push press. My overhead squat needs some work. I need to control my decent and stay tight throughout the movement. The weight didn’t feel to heavy and I felt like I could have went heavier but I wanted to stay within the percentages on the board.

WOD

10 minute AMRAP:30 double unders

15 power snatches (75 lb.)

This is the a repeat of the CrossFit Games Open workout 11.1/14.1. This was my first time attempting this workout and it was rough. The double unders were not too bad but the snatches were difficult. I had to break up the snatches into sets of two. The skill work definitely played a role but I powered through it. Managed to finish four rounds. Finished the night with 60 second weighted planks. I used a 35 lb. plate.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill Work

Worked on handstand skill work. I started with a handstand walk drill. I used a 24 inch box as an anchor point and did two 360 degree rotations around the box. I did this for three sets. I made some improvements over last week, finishing both rotations before stopping. Last week I had to take a break in between rotations. I also did some ring work. I worked on my lock out position on dips and ring push ups.

WOD – Partner Workout, 30 Minute Time Cap

For time

100 bench press (135 lb.)

–then–

3 rounds

1,000 m row

30 handstand push ups

1,000 m run

My main goal for this workout was to finish under time cap, but we didn’t. We finished two rounds and halfway through the row on the third round. This was a great workout but it was harder than expected. I wasn’t sure if I could complete all of the bench press reps at 135 lb. but my partner pushed me to finish. We decided to do it in sets of ten and then finish with sets of five. The rest of the workout was split evenly except the run. The row was split into 500 m the first round and the second round was 250 m. The run was done in 200 m intervals and I ended up doing 600 m total each round. I didn’t do well in the run. I kept a slow pace because I was tired. The row and handstand push ups took a lot out of me and I didn’t recover fast enough. Hopefully, I will do better next time.

Wednesday

Overhead Squat 3 Rep Max

I hit a new PR during this session. I was able to lift 195 lb. which is a 20 lb. increase. I think I could have went a bit heavier but the time ran out. My current 1 rm is 205 lb. and I can’t wait to retest it. With all the heavy overhead work, I want to max my snatch and clean and jerk.

WOD – Fight Gone Bad

3 rounds, 1 minute per station

Wall Balls (20 lb.)
Sumo deadlift high pull (75 lb.)
Box jump (20 in.)
Push press (75 lb.)
Row, calsRest 1 minute
My goal for this workout was to be consistent in all the movements. I also wanted to do better than the last time I did this workout. I wanted to at least complete 80 reps each round as well. The first round wasn’t great. I ended up completing 70 reps; short of my goal. The movements that slowed me down were the sumo deadlift highpull (sdhp) and the push press. I felt off balance during the sdhp, mostly because of my inexperience with the movement. My pull was not balanced and one side tilted during each rep. The second and third round were better however. I was able to find a rhythm but I was too fatigued to do more reps. The push press felt heavy. I’m not sure if it was because of all the reps from the wall balls or the overhead squats. I was only able to finish about 10 to 15 reps each round.

My reps per round were 70, 71 and 69. I was able to stay consistent but I was hoping for more reps. On the bright side, I PR’d this workout by one rep.

What is Loot Crate?

Taken from the Loot Crate site, “Each month, Loot Crate™ ships a themed mystery box of the best geek, gaming, and pop culture gear to a subscriber base of over 100,000 Looters. We emphasize phenomenal support and content, and include gear from some of the most respected entertainment and consumer product companies in the world.” Loot Crate sells for $13.95 a month plus $6.00 shipping and handling. You can save on the costs by subscribing for longer periods as well. If you like this theme check out the link at the bottom to subscribe.

What’s in the Box?

These sunglasses like the previous TMNT ones are cool but not practical. The only time I wear sunglasses is while driving and these are a bit much. I really like them, but I will probably never use them. I guess I can always give them to my little brother.

If you’re a fan of Fallout you will recognize this character, Vault Boy! I have played two games from the Fallout series and I plan on picking up Fallout 4. This will go on my desk at work.

I’m a big fan of Blizzard games. I started playing the original Warcraft in elementary school and played almost every title since. I haven’t heard of this line of vinyl figures but I’m glad they included one in this months box. Who doesn’t want a chibi Blizzard character?! I got the Loot Crate Murloc which will go on my desk. The other thing that came in was sheet of magnets as well. They are not particularly strong and I think they will slide off easy. The Game of Thrones magnets from a past crate was stronger.

The last installment of the Hunger Games movies is out this month and Loot Crate has included a Mocking Jay pin. I like the pins that Loot Crate has been adding lately. Like the Hydra pin I will probably added this to my Warmachine bag or give it to my younger sister who is a big Hunger Games fan.

I’m a fan of the Street Fighter series but I haven’t played any recent games. I hope the comic is as good as the video games.

Final Thoughts

I think this crate wasn’t too bad. The Mocking Jay pin and comic are okay. I also liked the Vault Boy bobble head and the Blizzard miniature but the shredder sunglasses and magnets were a miss. This month didn’t beat last month but I think next month will be better.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link. If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom.